Coming up on Saturday at the Described Movies: The Godfather and 'Neath the Arizona Skies.
From this Saturday at 12am Eastern, that’s 4pm Saturday in NZ, 2pm in Sydney and 5am in the UK, and repeated every four hours throughout the day, it’s the described movies The Godfather from 1972 and 'Neath the Arizona Skies from 1934.
The Godfather is a 1972 American crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, who co-wrote the screenplay with Mario Puzo, based on Puzo's best-selling 1969 novel of the same name.
The film stars Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Richard Castellano, Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden, John Marley, Richard Conte, and Diane Keaton.
It is the first installment in The Godfather trilogy.
The story, spanning from 1945 to 1955, chronicles the Corleone family under patriarch Vito Corleone (Brando), focusing on the transformation of his youngest son, Michael Corleone (Pacino), from reluctant family outsider to ruthless mafia boss.
Paramount Pictures obtained the rights to the novel for $80,000, before it gained popularity.
Studio executives had trouble finding a director; the first few candidates turned down the position before Coppola signed on to direct the film but disagreement followed over casting several characters, in particular, Vito and Michael.
Filming took place primarily on location around New York City and in Sicily, and was completed ahead of schedule.
The musical score was composed principally by Nino Rota, with additional pieces by Carmine Coppola.
The Godfather premiered at the Loew's State Theatre on 14 March, 1972, and was widely released in the United States on 24 March, 1972.
It was the highest-grossing film of 1972, and was for a time the highest-grossing film ever made, earning between $250 and $291 million at the box office.
The film received universal acclaim from critics and audiences, with praise for the performances, particularly those of Brando and Pacino, the directing, screenplay, cinematography, editing, score, and portrayal of the mafia.
The Godfather acted as a catalyst for the successful careers of Coppola, Pacino, and other relative newcomers in the cast and crew.
The film also revitalized Brando's career, which had declined in the 1960s, and he went on to star in films such as Last Tango in Paris, Superman, and Apocalypse Now.
At the 45th Academy Awards, the film won Best Picture, Best Actor (Brando), and Best Adapted Screenplay (for Puzo and Coppola).
In addition, the seven other Oscar nominations included Pacino, Caan, and Duvall for Best Supporting Actor, and Coppola for Best Director.
The Godfather is regarded as one of the greatest and most influential films ever made, as well as a landmark of the gangster genre.
It was selected for preservation in the U.S. National Film Registry of the Library of Congress in 1990, being deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" and is ranked the second-greatest film in American cinema (behind Citizen Kane) by the American Film Institute.
It was followed by sequels The Godfather Part II (1974) and The Godfather Part III (1990).
Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola.
Screenplay by: Mario Puzo, and Francis Ford Coppola.
Based on: The Godfather by Mario Puzo.
Produced by: Albert S. Ruddy.
Starring: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Richard Castellano, Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden, John Marley, Richard Conte, and Diane Keaton.
Cinematography: Gordon Willis.
Edited by: William Reynolds, and Peter Zinner.
Music by: Nino Rota.
Production companies: Paramount Pictures, and Alfran Productions.
Distributed by: Paramount Pictures.
Release dates: 14 March 1972 ( Loew's State Theatre), and 24 March 1972 (United States).
File Length: 177 minutes.
Country: United States.
Language: English.
Budget: $6–7.2 million.
Box office: $250–291 million.
'Neath the Arizona Skies is a 1934 Western film directed by Harry L. Fraser, produced by Lone Star Productions, released by Monogram Pictures and starring John Wayne.
Wayne's character attempts to locate a little girl's father, so that she may claim a $50,000 Indian oil claim.
The film co-stars Sheila Terry and Shirley Jean Rickert.
George "Gabby" Hayes played a featured character with a speaking role, but his name was omitted from the cast list in the opening credits.
Directed by: Harry L. Fraser.
Written by: Burl R. Tuttle.
Produced by: Paul Malvern for Lone Star Productions.
Starring: John Wayne, and Sheila Terry.
Cinematography: Archie Stout.
Edited by: Charles J. Hunt.
Music by: Billy Barber.
Distributed by: Monogram Pictures Corporation.
Release date: 5 December 1934.
File Length: 52 minutes.
Country: United States.
Language: English.
Any questions, comments, or ideas for future described movies: e-mail me: anthony at mushroomfm dot com (e-mail address written that way to cut down on
spam)
Enjoy the movies,